Survey: NY school districts still in rough financial shape

A third of New York superintendents expect their school districts could become financially insolvent within four years, according to the results of a 2013 survey released Wednesday by the New York State Council of School Superintendents.

The survey found that while school districts may be better off than they were a few years ago, most still face tough budget challenges despite the state’s improving finances.

In the survey, 33 percent of the 339 respondents said that after four years their district may become unable to meet some financial obligations, a number that has dropped slightly compared to the 2012 survey. But a higher percentage of districts also said they could become financially insolvent after four years, compared to 2012. And 43 percent of districts said they may become unable to fund all state and federal mandates for instruction and student services within four years.

Nearly a third said their district’s financial condition has worsened over the past year.

The NYSCSS polled its members on the financial condition of their districts. About half of the state’s roughly 700 school districts responded. The survey did not include the so-called “Big Five,” New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers, becausee their school budgets are not subject to voter approval,

“The financial outlook for New York State government has improved under Governor Cuomo’s leadership. But that has yet to translate into wide gains for our schools,” Robert Reidy, the Council’s Executive Director, said in a statement. “Too many districts still have real fears of insolvency. Too few have been able to restore programs and opportunities for their students.”

5 Responses

1. Cut those damn jock sports. Only a small minority of students are on competitive teams. Have more physical education, and get rid of gaudy HS football stadiums. School is about, well, school. There are private clubs for sports after school for those who like competing.

2. I hate seeing that big lumbering building of high school in my community empty half the time. When school is not in session, RENT IT OUT! Weddings, meetings of the local stamps collectors or square dancers, you name it.

3. I hated it when after 10 years of service, my 3% contribution was ended in TRS. I wanted to continue to pay because I like a well-funded secure retirement. Just make teachers pay 3%, or better 5%, throughout employment till they retire.

The best investment a society can make for it’s future is to provide a quality education to all of it’s children. The return on the investment will produce a well educated population that is competitive in the job market, be good citizens, and not dependent on social safety nets. From the comments I wonder if Libertarian is or was ever a teacher. Unless the TRS has changed, if you were making contributions and it changed you had the option to continue making those contributions. They provided a supplement to your retirement. It’s not the TRS that makes the laws governing retirement but the legislature.

Here is a solution: CONSOLIDATION!
Most of these school districts are so small, they have one building for the entire K-12 program.
Look at school districts down south and out west, they are all county wide districts. Cities still have their own districts there, but you’re talking of thousands of students.
People need to realize that “losing their identity” is just a stupid notion because you’re paying more in taxes for it. Consolidation would save money in the long run.
Just another reason why NY has high property taxes, 700 school districts.

For a change I like all or most of the other comments. Underlying all their comments is the fact that in New York State, apparently more so than in most states, it is possible for small groups of people to prevent good things from happening for a larger group of people (sometimes the whole state), or to push through or protect things that are bad for larger groups of people (sometimes the whole state) but are good for them.( A good book came out several years ago on this topic, “The Politics of Decline” by Jay Gallagher.) This is particularly pronounced when it comes to school districts. It’s very difficult to get people out to vote for school board elections, so the people who are the most motivated to elect a school board favorable to them generally get the school board they want, and those school boards make decisions accordingly, generally bad ones. Even when a good school board is elected their hands are tied by prior contracts and the fact that they have to negotiate with huge national labor unions. Maybe going bankrupt would be the best thing to happen to many of these school districts since it would allow somebody outside the district to impose rational decisions on the district or at least make rational decisions more likely. I love the 2% property tax cap limit since its likely to bring that about quickly in the most poorly managed districts.